1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-052

Description

Fifty-second in the Wexler obverse doubled die census for the Jefferson nickel series, WDDO-052 documents Class II (Distorted Hub) doubling visible on IN GOD WE TRUST with a characteristic decrease in spread intensity from left to right across the motto. Felix Schlag's Jefferson portrait, winner of the 1938 design competition, provides the obverse canvas for this variety from the 1962 Philadelphia issue. Class II doubling results from a tilted or distorted hub during the die-sinking process, producing uneven displacement that intensifies on one side and diminishes toward the other — the left-to-right decreasing pattern on WDDO-052 indicates the hub distortion was most severe at the IN end of the motto and progressively weaker through TRUST. Obverse die markers include a die scratch at the front portion of Jefferson's collar, a diagnostic that serves as a fingerprint for this specific working die independent of the doubling itself. The reverse carries its own identifying mark: a die dot positioned between the lower portions of I and V of FIVE, providing a secondary confirmation point when both sides are available for examination. Philadelphia struck approximately 100.6 million nickels in 1962, a moderate production year that sits between the higher outputs of the early 1960s silver boom era. The high WDDO number — fifty-two — reflects the extraordinary depth of doubled die documentation for Jefferson nickels, a series where Felix Schlag's detailed portrait and inscriptions have been systematically searched by attribution specialists across eight decades of production. Collectors should examine the left portion of IN GOD WE TRUST under 15-20x magnification, where the Class II spread is strongest, then verify die identity through the collar scratch and reverse die dot.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Die scratch at front portion of Jefferson's collar.
• Reverse: Die dot between lower portions of I and V of FIVE.

External References